George William Alner

Story:
George William Alner was born in Tollard Royal, Wiltshire, on 13 Apr 1887 the son of William Alner and Maria Alner (nee Whitmarsh). He lived all his early life in the Tollard Royal area until he married Beatrice Lily Soper in the Axminster, Devon, Registry area in 1910 (Jan - Mar Quarter) and set up home in Hay Cottage, Musbury, Axminster, Devon. He had apparently enlisted with the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry as a Private (Service No. 34984). He served in France and Flanders and, whilst there, was gassed and returned to the UK to recuperate on 18 Sep 1917. On his recovery he was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps (Service No. 61203). He was finally discharged on 14 Sep 1919 and awarded the Victory and British War Medals. He returned to Musbury, Axminster, and by the time of the 1939 Register, was living at Mount Cottage, Lyme Road, Axminster, Devon, working as a Roadman. He had moved again later to The Lodge, Sheen Court, Richmond upon Thames, London, where he died on 11 Oct 1971. His brothers, Arthur Bertie Alner, Harry John Alner and Douglas Walter Alner, had all served during the conflict.